Why is yawning contageous?

Question

and who yawned when reading this question/answers?

Answer 1

I didn't yawn while reading your question.. Although I saw a documentary on why people yawn, I think it's because way back before humans developed our communication skills we were a nomadic people. As we traveled those who needed to rest would yawn as a signal to the others that it was time to stop and settle down somewhere. After seeing one yawn others would then yawn so that everyone in the group would know to stop. I'm pretty sure thats what they said although I also think they also said that nobody really knows for sure!

Answer 2

If one person yawns, this appears to cause another person to yawn. Researchers have found that 40-60% of people who see a picture of someone yawning will yawn themselves. Even reading the word YAWN can make people yawn.

Although this “contagious” yawning behavior is not understood, it has been suggested that this could be the result of an unconscious herding behavior — a subtle way to communicate group behavior, such as when a birds follow the behavior of one bird, and all rise together as a whole flock.

Maybe a yawn is a signal to the group that it’s time to go to sleep. Or if someone yawns when they’re bored, it may be a sign to change the topic of conversation.

Yawning is not limited to humans. Animals of all types yawn. If you have a dog or cat, you’ve probably seen your pet yawn several times. Even some birds yawn such as cockatiel parrots, Adelie penguins and Emperor penguins.

Some of the more scientific explanations of why we yawn are caused by physical needs. One likely explanation is that the yawning reflex is triggered when our blood needs more oxygen. The deep breath helps replenish the levels of oxygen in our blood. Another common theory is that the yawn help regulate our body temperature. Other hypotheses suggest that the same chemicals in our brain that affect our moods and emotions cause us to yawn.

Some people think that yawning is rude and suggests that you are bored or uninterested. Superstitions about yawning have been around for hundreds of years and stem from the ancient Greeks. A common superstition says that a person must cover his or her mouth when yawning so that the soul does not escape through the mouth. Other superstitions say that yawning is a sign that danger is near. Today most people do not believe these superstitions and know that a yawn is a physical reflex.


Yes....I did yawn! (ha)

Answer 3

I didn't, but I had to try really hard.
Researchers aren't completely sure. They believe it is an evolutionary, primitive construct, a way of communicating boredom to others. Contagious yawning is seen as a person's way of empathizing, seeing things from the other person's point of view. Steven Platek, Ph.D. and a team of researchers from the Department of Psychology at the State University of New York (Albany, NY) investigated contagious yawns with a series of experiments. Their data suggest that being aware of one's own mental state ("self-recognition") and the ability to see things from another person's point of view ("mental state attribution") may make people susceptible to contagious yawns.

Answer 4

yawning or any other outward display of emotion( affect) can be contagious. its because we have mirror neurons that tell us how a person is feeling by lookign at them, it also works with yawning.

Answer 5

It's one of those things which is suggestible

Answer 6

I did and no one knows.

Answer 7

becayse its contagous

Answer 8

i didnt know that yaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwnnn